The Enemy of my Enemy?
by AnyaLehnsherr
Summary: Post First Class story about Emma and Erik moving past their differences to be teammates.
1. Hatred

It was no secret that Emma and Erik hated each other. Emma had worked with Sebastian Shaw, the Nazi madman who had killed Erik's mother and mercilessly tormented him in Auschwitz. Erik didn't blame Azazel, Riptide, or Angel for siding with him. They didn't know who Shaw had been. In the time Erik had known her, he had never told Angel what Shaw had put him through. When Erik confronted Azazel and Riptide, neither had known the truth about Shaw's past. Azazel had known Shaw had ties with the Nazi regime, but he never knew exactly what Shaw had done. Both were horrified when when Erik revealed the truth to him. They had worked on Shaw's side long enough to know he could be cruel, but the extent of his cruelty, to a fellow mutant no less, was appalling to them. Erik still had difficulty trusting them, but he couldn't fault them for something they had no knowledge of.

Emma was different. Emma had known. She was a telepath, and a pretty powerful one at that. There was no way Shaw could have hidden his past from her. He hadn't even tried. Emma had known exactly what Shaw had done to Erik as a boy, and she worked with him anyway. Despite Erik conceding that what Shaw had done had made him stronger and that he agreed with Shaw's beliefs that mutants were the future, he still hated that madman with a fiery passion. The fact that Shaw had supported Adolf Hitler's cruel regime was reason enough for that. Erik had always figured that if he could have controlled his ability to manipulate metal, he would have found a way to use it to stop the Nazis. Shaw had known how to use his ability, but instead of trying to stop the Nazis, he had sided with them. That was unforgivable in Erik's mind. But Shaw was dead. Erik had made sure of that himself. He couldn't hate Shaw forever (though his heart would try). There was no use in it now.

But what about the woman who had known all of that and loyally fought by Shaw's side? She had known the details of Shaw's cruelty and still remained true to him. Not only that, but she had displayed affection for the man. If her relationship with Shaw had been strictly business, Erik could have found a way to work with her, even if he couldn't be friendly to her. But she had loved Sebastian Shaw even while fully knowing what he had done while he was calling himself Klaus Schmidt. The thought of Emma's love for Shaw made Erik sick. He didn't like the idea of working with her. But all of his plans worked only with a telepath.

Having spent so much time with Charles had that effect on Erik. Oh how Erik wished he could still work side by side with his only true friend. Charles had unlocked such strength in him. And not just with his powers. By simply being Erik's friend and showing him that he could trust someone, Charles had helped Erik grow stronger. If only Charles could see his point of view. He always hoped that someday he and Charles would work together. Then he would have his brother back. Then he would have no purpose for Emma. He could get rid of her, one way or another. He had no particular desire to kill a fellow mutant. He feared that sooner or later the humans would take care of that. He had seen humans hating what they don't understand come to fruition before. He wouldn't wish that fate on anyone, not even a foe like Emma. That didn't mean he wanted to work with her though. He sometimes considered breaking his rule of not killing a fellow mutant to deal with her. But he knew he couldn't. She was too valuable a pawn.


	2. Pathetic

Emma had no great love for Erik either. From the moment she met him she disliked him. If he had a stronger mind, he would have seen that Sebastian only did what he did for the betterment of mutants. Sebastian's methods may have been unpleasant, but no one could deny they had made Erik stronger. Erik himself had admitted Sebastian had made him stronger. If Erik didn't let his heart rule his head, Emma thought he would see that. Pathetic. That's what Erik was: pathetic. He and Sebastian could have worked together. But Erik let his emotions get in the way of what he and Sebastian both wanted.

Sebastian never hated Erik. He had worked in Auschwitz desperately waiting to find any prisoner who showed signs of being a mutant. He had his fun with several prisoners before Erik. But none of them had been mutants. He wasn't fully able to test his hypotheses. He used them to perfect his methods, but mostly he just viewed them as a way to pass time. And then he saw that small boy bend that gate. He viewed Erik as a gift. He was thrilled to finally have a fellow mutant to test his hypotheses on. It would be for the betterment mutantkind. He wanted to help Erik and all mutants unlock their full potential.

Erik did not disappoint him. He proved Sebastian's hypothesis that emotions could be used to channel one's mutant ability. He had never guessed just how effective anger could be in that capacity. He knew fear could be manipulated for power, which he planned to use to his advantage, but Erik's anger was easier to channel than his fear. Of course he had fun with Erik, but that had more to do with what he was learning and less to do with watching Erik suffer. Erik viewed Sebastian as a madman who enjoyed inflicting pain. But in reality, he was a genius who enjoyed creating a future for mutants. Sebastian knew Erik was too young to fully grasp his view for the future, but he had hoped that Erik would come around. He truly wanted what was best for all mutants, including Erik.

Emma understood that. She understood that sometimes extreme methods were necessary. She loved that about Sebastian. He didn't do what made everyone happy. He did what he had to do. He was the only man Emma ever loved. As a telepath, she knew that most people were pathetic like Erik: not willing to do whatever it took, and not able to look past their emotions. Sebastian had been different. He displayed a cold logic. He truly had a vision for the future that Emma knew was beautiful. It didn't hurt that he was charming and cultured. Or that his view of the future included Emma as his queen once she had proven herself loyal to him. Emma had dated men before, usually just to use them for her advantage. But what she and Sebastian had was special.

In the 60s, men usually didn't see women as anything important. But Sebastian was smart enough to see past things like gender and race. He may have aligned himself with the Nazis, but that was only out of convenience. He used their foolish prison camps as a base for his research. He didn't agree with their definition of a superior race. Though he had a respect for their military tactics and their common willingness to do anything for the future they aspired to, he knew their view of superiority was flawed. Sebastian had been ahead of the times like that. Emma loved that in him.

Though Erik never admitted it, Emma knew that deep down he knew Sebastian had been right. He said it himself. He agreed with Sebastian's words about mutant superiority. Honestly, Erik took it further than Sebastian. Sebastian merely thought humans were meaningless. Sebastian basically viewed humans as an obsolete model. He viewed them as a horse and buggy compared to the car that was mutantkind. Erik hated them. He believed that the average human was ignorant and fearful. Emma agreed with Erik that humans would _try_ to fight against mutants, but she disagreed with Erik's fear. Erik was afraid of humans. He was afraid they would oppress mutants the way those Nazi idiots had oppressed him for being Jewish. That was the root of Erik's motivation: though he truly believed mutants were superior, he didn't care nearly as much about that beautiful vision as he did about protecting his fellow mutants. Noble as that may sound, Emma scoffed at the idea. Any mutant that needed protection from the lesser humans likely wasn't worth protecting. It's survival of the fittest, right? That said, Sebastian himself viewed protecting a fellow mutant as noble, and even had it as his rule that he wouldn't harm a mutant unless it would lead to his reign in his future.

Emma had to admit she saw similarities between the two of them. Both wanted a great future for mutants. Both were charismatic leaders. She understood why Azazel, Riptide, and Angel fell for Erik's tricks. And he was a very powerful mutant. Though she hated Erik for his weak mind and for killing Sebastian, she had to give credit where credit was due. Erik might someday be good for mutants. She was willing to work with him to that end. But she decided she would never like him. And she would make it abundantly clear that though she worked_ for_ Sebastian, she would only work _with_ Erik. She would not be his flunky or pawn. She wanted the queendom Sebastian had promised her. And she intended to take it, with or without Erik.


	3. Conversation

"You're going to have to pay attention to me sometime, Sugar." Emma called people "Sugar" with disdain. It was her way of showing them that she didn't respect them.

Erik didn't want to look up. He didn't want to give Emma the satisfaction controlling the conversation. But she was right. He did have to talk to her at some point. She was a necessary pawn for him.

"Why don't you just read my mind?"

"I only do that with people I like, unless I want to get something from them. Like your telepath friend Charles. I did notice that he had been through your mind a few times."

Three lines into the conversation and Erik's blood was already boiling. He still didn't want to talk about his old friend, especially not with a woman he had so much hatred for. Memories of Charles hurt Erik. Charles had been his brother. Charles was the only person Erik had been close to since Auschwitz, besides other people who had survived it too. He usually never wanted to open up to anyone. He hadn't exactly wanted to open up to Charles. Charles read his mind the first time they met. Erik was glad he had. Not just because it helped save his life. But also because he finally had a friend. And then he had to leave his only friend. This woman didn't get to talk to him about Charles.

"I thought you said you only snooped in the minds of those you liked."

"Or people I think could be of use to me."

"I'm touched."

"Let's cut to the chase, Erik. We might dislike each other, but as of right now we need each other. We should at least be on speaking terms. Maybe we can even be useful to each other."

"How can I be of service to you, Emma?" The sarcasm in his voice was thick. It didn't take a telepath to know Erik wasn't completely on board with their partnership.

"You don't have any reason to hate me. I don't bite, Sugar. And _I_ didn't kill the only person _you_ ever loved. That's what you did to me."

"How dare you say you're the one with the reason to hate me? I did the world a service by getting rid of that monster. And you're not the only one with experience in the loss department."

"Once again, not my fault."

This made Erik even more angry, something one might have doubted was possible at this point. This woman showed no remorse for siding with the madman who murdered his mother.

"You sided with the man that whose fault it was."

"That's not the loss I was referring to. Your friend Charles. You were the one who lost him. You finally make a real connection and then you shot him in the back."

Emma truly knew how to use her words to hit people's weakest points. Even without using her telepathy, it was obvious that was a sensitive point for him.

"That fight wouldn't have even happened if not for you and your old boss."

"You know he wasn't my boss. He was my love. And you can tell yourself whatever you want. I can tell that deep down you know your friend being injured was your own fault. Say what you will about Sebastian, but he never hurt anyone unintentionally. Every hurt he caused was ultimately for mutantkind."

Erik was filled with a flood of rage. Everything metal in the room began shaking.

"That madman you call your love was a murderer! He was vile Nazi scum who murdered the innocent!"

"He only ever killed _Homo sapiens_. I know you agree with him that we are the future. You certainly showed your willingness to kill _Homo sapiens_ who get in your way."

"I've never killed anyone without cause! My mother was innocent. My people were innocent. How many did he slaughter before he found a mutant boy to torture? You've been in my mind. You know what he did to me. Can you honestly say what he did was anything other than needless torture of the innocent?"

"You should be grateful for what he did for you. You know he did that for you and for all of us."

"I'm supposed to believe he was in it for anyone other than himself? He enjoyed what he did to me."

"I can't see why not. You're such _pleasant_ company, Sugar. I said he was ultimately working for mutantkind. I didn't say he didn't have fun. You're supposed to do what you love, right?"

"What kind of coward kills innocents and torments a child for his own enjoyment while hiding behind the most barbaric regime in human history?"

"You do realize he saved your life, right? You would have been sent to the gas chambers if not for Sebastian. When he wasn't experimenting on you, you were a Sonderkommnado, right? Didn't it ever strike you as odd that you were the youngest? Sebastian made sure you were in a job where you'd be kept alive and fed. You really never realized that?"

Erik shook from the memories. Emma almost felt bad for doing that to a fellow mutant, but she did take pleasure in seeing her foe off his game. She sensed the fear and pain rushing through him.

"What charity he gave me, that he allowed me survival in that hell. I guess it never occurred to your brilliant leader to spare a mutant child suffering. Or perhaps he too was swept away by the delusion that Jews are inferior."

"He never believed in any of that Aryan nonsense and you know it. He told you that. He was interested in the struggle between mutants and _Homo sapiens_, not Germans and Jews."

"So it's just a coincidence that he chose you, the blond haired and blue eyed beauty, as his right-hand woman?"

That was the first thing Erik said that day that truly got to Emma. Every other man she had ever met simply viewed her as something to be looked at, as nothing more than a pretty face. Sebastian had seen her as a goddess among Neanderthals. She decided she didn't have to put up with this meaningless conversation. Erik wasn't wearing his helmet. She could have ended this conversation at any time, but it had been too much fun making Erik squirm. But now Emma had enough.

"If you're ever willing to speak rationally, you'll know where to find me, Sugar."


	4. Common Enemy

Erik finally let his emotions take over and started crying when he was sure Emma left. Everything she had said had grated at him. Her comments about what Schmidt, or Shaw, or whatever his name _really_ was had done to him not only made him angry, they had brought back waves of painful emotions for him: grief, terror, shame, horror, and pain. Erik suspected that had been her goal. And she dared accuse him of not being able to speak rationally. She was the one intentionally using emotional arguments, messing with him like that.

It was incredibly rare for Erik to cry. The guards in Auschwitz had never allowed it. The guards likely would have disobeyed Schmidt's orders to keep Erik alive if he had shed a tear. Even if they wouldn't have, Erik didn't know Schmidt had given those orders until Emma mentioned it. Had Schmidt really done that? Emma didn't really have a motivation to make that up. She knew it didn't make him sound that much better in Erik's mind. A heartless telepath like Emma would have used her powers to come up with a much better lie.

And it made sense. Erik had never allowed himself to think about it, but anyone else in his position would have been killed. Most of the children his age had been sent straight to the gas chambers. Of the ones who weren't, none except him were Sonderkommandos. He usually didn't allow himself to think about this. Though it had been years since he had actually been in the camps, the grief and fear that came with the memories still felt so fresh. Grief for those who had died around him, and fear that he would be next.

Being a Sonderkommando was a different kind of hell from the experience of the others in the camps. On the one hand, they had more food and better clothes and conditions than the other prisoners. The hell they experienced was psychological more than it was physical. It had been their job to dispose of the dead. They had to move bodies from the gas chambers to the ovens. Erik had to fight against the self-loathing urge in him that wanted to know how many people there had been. Schmidt had to have ordered the guards not to kill him. Most Sonderkommnados were killed every once in a while. Erik lost track of time in there, but he knew it happened in a pattern. He hated those memories more than anything Schmidt had done to him. And now he knew it was Schmidt who let him be placed into that unit. Though Schmidt's order may have saved his life, he would never be as thankful as Emma implied he should be.

He cried and cried, those memories flashing through his mind. And then came the memories of Schmidt. He saw his mother die. He saw the blades and the operating table. He fought to stop himself from dwelling on the specifics of what had been done to him. The words "mad scientist" didn't fit here. "Evil tormenter" seemed more appropriate. Whether or not it was true that Schmidt had intentionally spared his life, Erik didn't care. Though Erik felt differently now, he had spent every day in the camps wondering whether it would have been better if the guards sent him to the gas chambers or if Schmidt finally did something to him that killed him.

Anyone who truly cared about mutants ahead of himself would have let a mutant child free instead of subjecting him to that brutal torture or to life in the camps. How could Emma see that madman's point of view? She must have been as twisted as he had been. Right? Or was he the only one who felt Schmidt had been unreasonable? After all, Emma had one solid point: he hadn't been a true Nazi. It didn't forgive his actions. Nothing would be good enough to forgive his actions. But Erik knew his point about Emma being a blond with blue eyes had been a cheap shot. Schmidt had been cruel, cold, and downright evil, but he hadn't truly singled out Jews. He went with what was convenient. He reminded Erik of that every time he had called him into that terrible office.

"Remember this, Erik. I'm not doing this to hurt you. The guards want to hurt you. They're foolish. They think you're inferior because you're Jewish. I do not care about all of that. I think they are the inferior ones. They are inferior to you. You are the future, not them. I've been waiting so long to find someone like you. Someone different like you. Someone _better_ like you. A Jew, a Gypsy, that didn't matter. I just wanted someone like you. I've had other prisoners here, but none as special as you. Erik, I hope someday you'll see how all this fun I'm having is really for your own good. Now be a good boy or I'll have to tell the guards you were disobedient. And you wouldn't want that, would you?"

Erik still had those words memorized. Schmidt said that before their second "experiment." Erik cringed at the thought and nearly became sick thinking of that man's words. Schmidt had been a barbaric tormenter. But he had also made a point of saying that the Nazi ideals of perfection were meaningless. In a twisted way, Schmidt had been the first man Erik had encountered in a long time that didn't care that he was Jewish. Even Erik admitted he agreed with Shaw's policies on mutants. Perhaps that's what drew Emma to him. Perhaps she understood his policies and used her cold-heartedness to look past his evil actions. Maybe that was the case. Could he forgive her for accepting that man? He realized he may have to, in order to defeat the greater enemy. No matter how much he disliked Emma, she wasn't the enemy. It was people who, like the Nazis, couldn't see past their mutation. The two of them had a common enemy. Erik would have to accept that Emma wasn't evil. Cold and willing to be cruel? Yes. But he had to admit she had been different from Shaw. She may have loved him, but she had been different from him. He only cared about himself. She cared about all mutants. That's how Shaw got her on his side. Erik decided perhaps he could also use that good quality in an otherwise heartless woman.


	5. Angel

"Erik, do you -" Angel stopped herself there. Though Erik was no longer crying, she could see he looked upset. She figured she was probably interrupting him from deep thought. "Never mind. It's not important."

"What?" Erik quickly snapped himself out of his thoughts. He couldn't let Angel think he was weak. "Go ahead. I'm not busy."

"You said the group was going to train together later. I wanted to know if you wanted to do that now."

"You're right. We are training today." Erik had taken over Charles' position as trainer. He wasn't as good at it as Charles. He couldn't tell what his team needed to hear. Of course, it was easy for a telepath to know how to get through to people. Erik was reminded of his own training session with his friend. Charles had helped him unlock his power using his telepathy. His telepathy and his good heart, that is. Oh, how Erik missed him. But he couldn't dwell on that now. He might not have been as good a trainer as Charles, but he saw the importance of training.

"It can wait." Angel could tell Erik was still bothered by whatever was on his mind. And she did not want an angry trainer today. He was harsh enough as it was. He used his power to hurl metal objects at her to test her ability to avoid them while flying. This would have been fine if he hadn't let them hit her. He said her enemies wouldn't be kind to her, so neither would he.

"What's bothering you, Erik?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You know what I used to do for a living. Believe me, I got pretty good at reading men."

"So much female input today." Erik knew he shouldn't have said that. He didn't have a problem with women. And he didn't want to hurt his position with Angel. She was pretty sensitive when it came to men looking down on her for being female.

"Emma. What's your deal with her anyway?" Emma and Raven were the only other females, and Angel knew he always got along quite well with Raven.

"What year were you born, Angel?"

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to ask a lady that? And what does that have to do with Emma?"

Erik couldn't let the comment about his mother get to him. Not now.

"Just answer the question."

"I was born in 1943. I still don't see what that has to do with anything."

"You're way too young to remember the War, then. I'm not. I was a boy when it started. An innocent boy born to an innocent Jewish family in Germany. Did your parents or teachers ever tell you about what happened to innocent Jewish families in Germany during the War?"

"I never learned all the details, but I know it wasn't good."

Erik rolled up his sleeve and showed Angel the number on his arm. It was becoming increasingly difficult to not let his emotions get the better of him. He didn't like opening up to people about his past. But perhaps this would help Angel understand.

"Do you know what this tattoo means?"

Angel was stunned. She didn't know a lot about the War, but she was pretty sure that had to do with the Nazi camps. Had he been a prisoner when he was a child?

"I think so. Were you a prisoner of the Nazis?"

"Yes. I was in Auschwitz." Even saying the name still hurt Erik. "I survived. My family didn't."

"I'm so sorry." Angel was stunned. She didn't know how to respond. She felt bad for Erik, but she was confused. She didn't know what any of this had to do with Emma. Emma was a few years younger than Erik, so even if she had been German, which she wasn't as far as Angel could tell, she wouldn't have been old enough to have anything to do with that.

"Do you know what they did to prisoners in those camps?"

"Not really." She didn't know if she wanted to hear this. But now she was hooked. Not only was she desperately curious to figure out where Emma fit into this horror story, there was something morbidly intriguing. Angel felt guilty over this curiosity. But she couldn't stop herself from being curious. Erik noticed her curiosity. On the one hand, this repulsed him. How could someone want to think about that? How could she want to know? He would give almost anything to delete those memories. And Angel was captivated by it. On the other hand, he figured it must be a blessing to be so sheltered that horrors could intrigue you. He had to protect Angel, along with all mutants. Perhaps all mutants could be as sheltered as her if they worked hard. And then he realized that perhaps he could use this morbid curiosity to his advantage. He could use this intrigue to keep others' attention, and possibly more. He felt ashamed for thinking that. Would his mother want him to use her death to his advantage? He wouldn't think about that now.

"Those of us who weren't killed were usually sent to different jobs. But some of us were used as lab rats. We were tortured. They called it science. They called it experimentation. But it was torture. Cold-blooded, often useless torture. Most didn't survive the experimentation."

"You were _experimented on_?" Angel was horrified. She couldn't believe the evil of a person who would torture a young boy. "I- Erik, I-"

"You don't need to say anything. You're so young, my dear. You shouldn't have to understand that."

"It's just, why on earth would someone torture a child?"

"I was born different. Humans fear things that are different. I'm sure you know that."

Angel understood that. She had to hide her wings her whole life. She had always known people liked to pick on those that were different.

"But still. Torturing a child just because he's a Jew? That's completely-"

"It wasn't just because I'm Jewish. There was something else different about me. At the gates I used my powers. I showed I was a mutant. Unfortunately for me, there was a doctor there going by the name of Klaus Schmidt at the time who had been waiting for a mutant to show up. You knew him better by his later alias: Sebastian Shaw."

Angel couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had known Sebastian. Not very well, but well enough that she wouldn't suspect him of torturing children or being a Nazi. She couldn't believe she had sided with him. If she had known she wouldn't have sided with him.

"You mean, when I worked with him, I was working with a _Nazi_?! Erik, I had no idea. You have to believe me. I had no idea. He said he loved mutants. That hypocrite said we would never hurt mutants unless it was absolutely necessary! You have to believe me."

"I know, Angel. You had no idea."

"So that's why you killed him."

"No. That was for killing my mother. I truly agreed with what he said about mutants. We are meant to have our reign. But I couldn't let a monster like that live."

"So what does this have to do with Emma?"

"She's a telepath. She read his mind. She read mine. She knows exactly what he did. She worked with him anyway. Something you say you would never do."

"No. I wouldn't. I wouldn't have supported him if I had known what kind of monster he was. But..." Angel cut herself off. She could see how Emma would feel that way. As a telepath, she knew the worst things about everyone. So Emma was probably a bit desensitized to knowing the worst thing a person had ever done. And Angel knew how tempting Shaw's offer of queendom had been. Even Erik knew Shaw's beliefs about mutants had been appealing. He had been such a charming smooth talker.

"But? You mean you condone his actions?"

"No! No, Erik. Not his. His actions were inexcusable. But Emma didn't do any of that. I met Shaw. Granted, I had no way of reading his mind to see how evil he truly was, but he was irresistible. He was charming. I don't condone it necessarily, but I can see why Emma would fall for him. Even with her telepathy, she isn't immune to charm."

Erik didn't want to continue this conversation. Between the conversation he had with Emma and now this one, he had been experiencing a storm of painful emotions from his memories. He couldn't deal with that and working through his hatred of Emma.

"You were right earlier, Angel. We should get training."


	6. Raven

_Meanwhile..._

"Your boyfriend is a real piece of work."

Raven sighed. It was no secret Emma and Erik didn't get along well. Raven didn't know why. Emma wasn't exactly the most entertaining person to be around, but Raven got along well enough with her. She was a powerful mutant, a good conversationalist, and a very smart woman. The only time Raven and Emma ever disagreed was when she complained about Erik, but Raven understood that. Erik had killed Sebastian Shaw, whom Emma had loved. Raven saw it as a necessity. She had no particular love of normal humans, but his plans of slaughter were extreme. Raven didn't want that. She just wanted a world where people accepted her. She wanted a world where there were more people who could see her blue form as beautiful. She didn't want to kill anyone. She knew it might be necessary at some point, but she wasn't excited about that. Shaw had taken a good idea too far. She understood why Erik had killed him (or so she thought) but she had also understood why Emma would be upset. It didn't make her want to listen to Emma's complaints.

"I've told you before, he's not my boyfriend." Not yet. Raven had hoped. But she wasn't about to tell Emma that.

"You can call your relationship with him whatever you want. It doesn't make him any less pathetic."

"Pathetic? How can you call such a powerful mutant pathetic?"

"I don't mean his gift. It's a pity such a magnificent gift is wasted on such a weak mind."

"Emma, I know you don't like him. I'd be pretty mad at someone if they killed someone I loved. But you're a smart woman. You have to know he'll be good for all of us. You have to admit he's smart."

"He could be smart if he didn't let his emotions control his mind. If I believed Sebastian's death had truly been necessary, I wouldn't have a problem with Erik. But that's not why he killed my Sebastian. He killed him out of anger. He admitted Sebastian would be good for all mutants, he just lets his anger blind him."

"Emma, he killed Shaw to stop him. We really did think it would be necessary."

"He really never told you, did he? That surprises me. I figured he would have told you, Mystique."

Raven still wasn't completely used to being called "Mystique." She liked the name. She liked being separate from her human name. She liked being separate from her human identity. She had spent so many years hiding her true self. It felt good to embrace her true mutant identity. But it also cemented the fact that she couldn't go back. She did miss Charles so much. She was so grateful for everything Erik had done for her that she didn't bring it up. She sensed Charles would be a sensitive topic for Erik too. But she missed her brother.

"Told me what?"

"The real reason he killed Sebastian. He really never told you about how he met Sebastian?"

Raven hadn't really thought about that. She knew Erik had at least known of Shaw before they had fought. Erik's past was a mystery to her. She understood that. There were parts of her past she didn't like to talk about. She hadn't even spelled out the details of why she ran away to Charles, though she suspected he guessed at least a vague picture. There weren't too many reasons a girl that young ran away from home, and even fewer reasons a girl with blue skin would have to run. She knew Erik didn't like to talk about his past, and she respected that. She hadn't made the connection that his past encounters with Shaw had been motivation for killing him. Well, anything other than the fact that knowledge of the man inspired a desire to stop him, by any means necessary.

"No. I didn't ask."

"He really told you nothing about his childhood, did he? You don't even know what country he's from, do you?"

"No. I don't see how that matters."

"He's German. You were a girl when the War was on, right? Do you know what things were like in Germany?"

Raven hadn't gone to school as a girl. She still had difficulty controlling her ability then. If she focused too hard on something else, or if she got scared or upset, sometimes her hair or eyes would change against her control. She was afraid that if she went to school... well, she didn't want to think too hard about what might happen. But she knew from experience it wouldn't be good. But Charles had educated her. He had been better than a teacher. It was like having a private tutor that's young enough to relate to you. He had taught her all the history she could learn. Charles was best in his science classes, but he had a love of history and literature. He had a love of all academics, for that matter. He had taught her more about the War than they would have in school. It was still too recent to teach in history classes. But Charles had been fascinated by it, so he taught Raven all he could.

"Yeah. You mean Erik grew up with all that going on around him?" Raven felt bad. She couldn't have imagined growing up with a war around you. Then a thought struck her. What if he had had Jewish friends or neighbors? It must have been hard to see his friends persecuted like that. Then an even worse thought struck her. What if it hadn't been hard for him? What if Erik's family had been involved? Charles had taught her how they used propaganda in Germany. What if Erik's family had been swept away by the propaganda and started to believe in that nonsense? Then she remembered Charles said there was a group called Hitler's Youth. Erik would have been the right age. Had he been? No. Not her Erik. He wouldn't have supported something so terrible. That's what he was fighting to prevent: a cruel group persecuting those who were different. He wouldn't have supported them. Right?

"It wasn't just going on around him. He was in the middle of it. His family was Jewish."

No. Raven couldn't have heard that right. She knew what happened to Jews in Germany during the War. Thinking of her Erik in such circumstances as a boy was nearly unbearable. No child should have suffered through that.

"You mean...? Was he...? Was he in those horrible camps?"

"Yes. He wouldn't have survived if not for Sebastian."

"Wait, what does he have to do with any of this?"

"He was there too. He was working as a doctor in Auschwitz when Erik arrived."

"He was working there? You mean he was a Nazi?"

"Officially, yes. But he never really believed in any of that foolishness. He was there to do experiments. He wanted to learn more about mutants so he could help us. He found Erik."

"He experimented on people? Including Erik? Erik was a child!"

"A child whose life Sebastian saved. You should be grateful. Not only was he doing what was best for all mutants, he saved your boyfriend's life."

Raven let the "boyfriend" comment go this time.

"How does experimenting on an innocent child in a prison camp save his life?"

"He ordered the guards not to kill Erik. And he always knew his experiments wouldn't kill Erik. A boy Erik's age would have normally been sent to the gas chambers. And Sebastian made sure he was given enough food and clothes. He saved Erik's life and Erik paid him back by killing him."

"He did that to save other innocent people, including mutants."

"He did it for revenge. Don't let him fool you."

"I probably would have wanted revenge too if someone had experimented on me in a prison camp."

"Like I said, he saved Erik's life. And he did what he did for mutants. He was always looking for ways to help Erik channel his powers, hoping to help all mutants get stronger. But that's not even the point. Erik didn't even kill him over that. The tipping point for Erik was that Sebastian killed his mother."

"He what?! He killed an innocent woman?"

"He only ever killed _Homo sapiens_. For the sake of mutants. The same thing Erik is willing to do."

"You know this, and you still don't get why Erik killed him?"

"I knew that when I met him. I didn't trust him, so I read his mind. At first I didn't like it either. But then I searched a little deeper. He really was doing it thinking of the future for mutants. So I did what Erik doesn't: I looked past my emotions and saw through to the truly beautiful vision in Sebastian's mind. That's why I loved him."

"You willingly worked with and fell in love with a Nazi?"

"Like I said, he wasn't a real Nazi. He didn't care Erik was Jewish. If it helps, don't think of it as him torturing an innocent child or killing innocent people. Think of it as him doing whatever it took to help mutants."

"Are you sure Erik is the one blinded by his emotions? You loved Sebastian. Of course it made you angry that Erik killed him. Of course you can look past his faults. But don't say Erik is the one blinded by emotions here. He's willing to work with you even though he has a pretty good reason not to like you. And, yeah. You have a good reason not to like him. But don't say he's the only one caught up in his emotions."

Emma was going to respond. But Angel interrupted.

"Guys? It's time to train. Erik's already ticked off about...something." She tried not to look at Emma. "We shouldn't be late."


	7. Friendship

All of them came back exhausted. Erik had trained them particularly vigorously today. Angel's fears about training under an angry Erik had been confirmed. Everyone was happy it was time for bed. Everyone except Raven. She had to talk to Erik. Maybe Emma had been lying. But what if she hadn't? Raven had the worst time training. She couldn't focus. She had been so preoccupied with what Emma told her. Thinking of the strong, confident leader commanding the group as a scared child being tortured in a concentration camp had torn her up. She knew where Erik's room was. She went there and waited for him.

"Why is it that whenever you want to speak privately you come to my bedroom?"

"It's the only time I can make sure the conversation will be private."

Erik knew she had a point. He sat down on his bed. Raven sat down next to him.

"I want to sleep too. You've had a hard day. Is this because I snapped at you? I'm sorry. I just wanted you to challenge yourself."

"No. It's not that."

"Raven, I'm not a telepath. You'll have to tell me what's on your mind."

Raven paused. She didn't know how to start the conversation. She knew Erik wouldn't want to talk about this. A part of her considered saying "never mind" and leaving or making up a different excuse for having come to talk to him. But another part of her had to continue.

"Emma told me, Erik."

Erik should have known that woman would use her knowledge against him. Erik was certain what Emma had told Raven had been about his childhood. But he didn't want to tell Raven about it if that's not what she meant. He had to be careful.

"What did she tell you?"

"She told me terrible things about your childhood. Please tell me she was lying, Erik. Please tell me you weren't really sent to those horrible camps. Please tell me your family wasn't murdered. Please tell me you weren't experimented on."

Erik sighed. He rolled up his sleeve and showed her the number on his arm.

"_I should take out an ad in the paper or something," _Erik thought bitterly. "_That way I wouldn't have to show people this ugly tattoo every time they ask about my childhood."_

Raven's heart sunk. She knew it was unlikely Emma was lying. Why would she make that up? But to have it confirmed that her friend had suffered like that as a child was almost too much for her.

"Erik, I'm so sorry." She didn't know what else she could say.

"You didn't make Emma tell you this. I don't blame you for asking. I'm sure if I hadn't lived through it myself I would understand the curiosity people seem to have about what happened."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to sound flippant, Erik. It's not curiosity. I want to respect your privacy, I just need help understanding what Emma told me. I know what you lived through must have been horrible. No. Sorry. Horrible's not a strong enough word."

"It's alright, Raven. You don't have to say the right thing. There is no good way of describing such things. I understand you're trying. It's alright."

"Do you mind if I ask you something?"

"Raven, you know what I admire most about you? Your boldness. I've seen it blossom in you so much since I've met you. I know you'll likely ask whatever you want to whether I want to talk about this or not. And I encourage that in you. Ask as many questions as you want. Don't hold back."

"Emma said you were experimented on. Is that true?"

"Yes. That's what they called what they did, anyway. When I wasn't in the camp with the other prisoners, I was being experimented on. But it wasn't a normal experiment. It was torture."

Raven didn't know if she wanted to continue with the conversation. She didn't want to pry into his past. She didn't want to know what had happened to her Erik. She decided not to ask what happened to him when he wasn't being experimented on. He should be allowed at least that much privacy.

"She said Shaw was the one who tortured you like that. Is that true?"

"Yes."

"And..." Raven considered stopping her line of questioning. She didn't want to torment Erik with the memories of his past. She didn't want to pry. She just felt a need to know the truth. Everything Emma had said stuck with her, but there was one thing in particular: Had Shaw's death truly been a necessity? Erik promised her they would never, under any circumstances, kill someone without it being a necessity. She understood why Erik would do what he did. But she didn't want him to lie to her about it.

"And what? And he murdered my mother? The answer is yes. He murdered my mother in front of my eyes. I couldn't stop him. She wasn't the first he had killed. I don't want to know how many, but he had killed others before her. He had experimented on other prisoners before I got there. He killed all of the prisoners he experimented on before me. I was the only one he kept alive."

"So, it's true what Emma said. He intentionally kept you alive?"

"I'm not sure. He never told me that. But it makes sense given the circumstances. If he hadn't, I probably wouldn't be alive right now. I don't know for sure, but I think he must have."

"Is that why you killed him?"

"He took my mother's life. I took his."

"You said we wouldn't take a life unless it was necessary."

"Raven, whatever my motive, I removed a monster from the world. That's what we're doing now. We're trying to stop monsters like Shaw. Only this time we're trying to stop them before they can do such vile acts. I wouldn't wish the suffering I endured on anyone, let alone our mutant brothers and sisters. Do you understand?"

Raven let the thought sink in for a while. Had Erik lied to her? He had never told her about Shaw. She had no idea what a madman Shaw had been. It almost made her happy Erik killed him. Before she had seen it as a sad necessity to kill someone. But now that she knew the truth, she was glad Shaw was dead. The man tortured her Erik, killed his mother, and let him suffer in a death camp. He had tortured and murdered several innocent people. Raven wondered how many there had been before Erik. She understood why Erik wanted to kill him. And it certainly did seem like a necessity to rid the world of a monster like that. She had never asked about Erik's childhood. So he hadn't really lied.

"I understand." Raven hesitated. She thought Erik looked tired. But she had to say one more thing.

"What is it, Raven? Like I said, don't hold back."

"I should let you go to sleep."

"Raven, I doubt I'll sleep tonight. If I do, I'll have nothing but nightmares. Keep me up as late as you want."

Raven guessed Erik had said this to make her feel less guilty about keeping him up talking, but it made her feel worse. She could tell he wasn't enjoying this conversation, and that was putting it lightly. She knew it wasn't solely her fault, but she could tell her questions were bringing up terrible memories for him. She wondered if he would have nightmares anyway, or if her conversation had spurred them.

"Raven? What did I say about not being a telepath?"

"Well, Erik, it's Emma. She's my friend. She's not perfect, but she isn't Shaw. She didn't murder your mother, or torture you, or kill your people. Shaw was a madman, and I'm glad you killed him."

Raven felt guilty for admitting that. She didn't want to feel good about someone's death. But after hearing what Shaw had done, she couldn't help it. But she continued.

"She loved him. She told me she didn't like the fact that he had been a Nazi until she looked deeper in his mind. Love blinds people, Erik. Think of the way Charles loves _Homo sapiens_. It blinds him to what they're capable of. She was blinded by her love for him. You don't have to love her. I know it would be hard for me to love someone who had condoned what Shaw did. But she's not the enemy here, Erik. I know her. What you said earlier about helping mutants, about stopping people like Shaw before they hurt us, that's what Emma wants too. She may talk about how she wants to be queen and how she wants us to be superior. And she does. But she wants that for all of us. There is a real enemy out there. I had to hide my whole life because of that enemy. Even Charles admitted that I would be in danger if anyone else saw my true form. We both know there are people who will hurt us. Don't we want Emma on our side?"

Erik could hardly believe what he was hearing. Raven knew what kind of a monster Emma had fallen in love with, and she still sided with her. What made it worse was that Raven was right. Erik hated to admit it, but if there was anyone who equalled his passion for mutants, it was Emma. Sure, she focused more on the ruling over _Homo sapiens_ aspect, but she did value her fellow mutants' lives, especially those she deemed worthy. She wasn't a hypocrite like Shaw. He claimed he cared for mutants, but never did anything for anyone other than himself. Emma had worked for Shaw and with the others to work for mutants. She didn't just focus on herself as queen. She focused on all mutants. And Raven was right about love blinding people. It pained him to think of Charles, but she was right about love being the force that blinded him. Had Emma really told her she didn't like that Shaw had been a Nazi? Perhaps she wasn't as cold as Erik had previously thought.

"I'll talk to her tomorrow. But today, you need to get some sleep, Raven."

Raven nodded and left to go to bed. She was exhausted. She did wonder what Erik would say to Emma tomorrow. She hoped her friends would work it out.


	8. Unanswered Questions

Emma couldn't sleep that night. She was tired, of course. But she had her fair share of sleepless nights. Being a telepath had that effect on her. Her mind was usually most full at night. With the combination of people's dreams and nightmares and her own thoughts, her mind swam at night. Tonight was no exception.

Little flashes of her comrades' dreams popped into her mind. Angel flying through different cities such as London and Paris, a child version of Azazel running away from stupid _Homo sapiens_ calling him an abomination, Riptide relaxing at the beach with a pretty girl, Raven talking to Charles Xavier, Emma had seen it all. She was used to this by now. As a young girl, it had freaked her out. She hadn't understood what was happening to her. Now she understood. She understood and she loved it. She didn't like the insomnia, but that was little price to pay for having such a fantastic gift.

"Exquisite. You truly are exquisite, my dear. My gift keeps makes me the most powerful weapon on the planet. But yours? Yours allows you to do anything you can think of with the second most powerful weapon of all: the mind. Truly beautiful, my love."

That's what Sebastian had told her when she revealed to him that she was a telepath. She clung to every word. Her gift had freaked her out so much when she first got it. Even after she started understanding it she still didn't know if she liked it. Eventually she grew to like it, but she couldn't shake the feeling other people _knew_. She couldn't shake the feeling that other people could feel her presence in their minds and that they were afraid of her. Sebastian helped her realize that their opinions didn't matter. Sebastian made her realize she was better than them. They had a right to fear her. She was a weapon. A goddess among insects.

Tonight it wasn't really her telepathy keeping her awake. It was thoughts of her Sebastian. She had loved him. She had spent the years she had known him looking past the things everyone else wanted to run away from in him.

And then she was stuck with Erik. She didn't tell him this, because he would only use it against her, but she had never liked knowing what Sebastian did to him as a child. She understood it was ultimately for the good of all mutants, but she wondered if he had crossed a line. She used to tell herself over and over that it was for the good of mutants in the end. Sebastian had learned a lot from it, and Erik had grown stronger. She had herself convinced of this.

But the things she had seen didn't sit right with her. She pretended they did. She even lied to herself and said they did. But she had seen what Sebastian did to Erik. And she knew that it wasn't solely for the good of mutantkind. She pretended she didn't notice the sadistic nature of Sebastian's mind. She pretended she didn't care that he had taken a sick pleasure from hurting Erik. But she did care. She loved her Sebastian enough that it didn't matter, but now she couldn't stop thinking about it. Erik's mind focused on it so much that her thoughts were drawn to it.

She hated to admit it, but Erik had some valid points about her Sebastian. He had never given her satisfactory answers to some of her questions, not even in the depths of his mind. Even though he ordered the guards not to kill Erik, he hadn't protected him. The guards had been uselessly cruel to Erik, like all of their prisoners. Emma had been fairly accustomed to the cruelty of others, but the horrific things the Nazis had done fazed even her. And her Sebastian had allowed that to happen to a mutant child. She knew he had to do his experiments on him, but she never understood why he didn't protect Erik from the fools in the rest of the camp.

She had asked Sebastian why he allowed Erik to suffer like that. He said the other guards had requested it. His mind didn't provide any other answer. But she knew he was above following orders when he disagreed with those orders. He was strong enough that he didn't have to obey everyone. So the only explanation was that he simply didn't care about Erik's well-being, as long as he still had the child alive.

She had asked Sebastian about each of his experiments with Erik. Some of them he explained the specific purpose of, others he just shrugged off. The ones he just shrugged off had been the cruelest. She knew he had enjoyed tormenting him. He had taken pleasure out of seeing Erik in pain. He had taken pleasure out of seeing the terror in his eyes. He said he loved mutants. He said Erik was special. He said he loved Erik. But how could he do that to a child he had loved without good reason?

When she had been with him, she had loved him enough not to care about those things. And she still loved him, even though he was gone. But she couldn't stop wondering if he really was as good as she had thought he was.

Just then a flash of something entered her mind that made it even harder. She had started picking up Erik's nightmare, which focused on her beloved Sebastian. She sensed Erik's terror and pain. Of course this just had to come to her mind right now. Any other time and she would have ignored it, passing it off as a sign of Erik being pathetic. Perhaps it had been her conversation with Raven. Or perhaps it was mentally seeing Erik weeping earlier today. She didn't know why he bothered waiting for her to leave the room. Didn't he know she could sense his trouble? In the moment it had filled her with great satisfaction. She wasn't too happy with him. That was an understatement. She hated him in that moment. But she didn't like that she had done that to a fellow mutant. It had been childish of her. And it was counter-productive. All it did was remind both of them of Sebastian's... less pleasant qualities.

Perhaps it was a sense of guilt. Perhaps it was seeing Raven's point from their conversation earlier. Perhaps it was boredom. Perhaps it was some sense of pity for Erik. Perhaps it was wanting Erik's distress to get out of her head so she could sleep. She didn't know what the reason was. But something was drawing her to Erik's room.

She knocked on the door and waited.


	9. Memories

Erik was right when he told Raven he would have nightmares that night. It was a safe bet on any given night, but after all the time he had spent that day talking about his childhood, it was almost guaranteed. His nightmare this night had been particularly bad. It focused on what Shaw had done to him, but there were flashes of every horrible element of what had happened to him in Auschwitz: the death of his mother, the guards, what he had been forced to do in the Sonderkommando, the countless dead bodies, everything. Every emotion, his anger, terror, guilt, and pain, swirled through his mind.

Erik woke up panicked. It took a few moments for him to assess the situation and realize he wasn't there anymore. He was drenched in sweat and still shaking, but at least his mind was snapped back into the present. He sat up and buried his head in his hands. He tried to focus his mind on anything other than those memories. He always had difficulty shaking off his nightmares. He couldn't tell himself it was just a dream because it had been his reality. He wondered for a moment what time it was. It didn't really matter. There was no way he was falling asleep again. He finally caught his breath and his heart rate began to slow down.

"Come on, Erik. You're stronger than this," he whispered to himself. "You killed him. He can't hurt you or anyone else now. You made sure of that." He sat there for a few moments, still trying to block out the memories. He tried to think of something, anything else. Charles. He remembered his friend telling him killing Shaw would not bring him peace. Charles had definitely been right about that. He had known Shaw's death wouldn't fully satisfy him, but he had hoped his nightmares of the man would go away. He cursed himself for fearing a man he had killed.

He pushed those thoughts from his mind and focused on the good memories he had with Charles. He remembered their chess games. He remembered their road trip to locate other mutants. He remembered the way Charles had cared for him. Charles had been the first person since Auschwitz to care for him. Those thoughts finally calmed his mind.

That calm changed when he heard a knock at the door.

"Erik? I know you're awake, Sugar. Do you want to talk to me?"

No. Not Emma. Why was she there? He never knew he could possibly loathe waking up from a nightmare more than he already did. What had she seen? Had that woman been inside his mind? Had she been inside his nightmare? Or worse, had she caused it? He had enough nightmares on his own, but he wouldn't put it past Emma to do that to him.

"Relax, Sugar. I'm not here to torment you. You seem to be doing a good enough job of that yourself."

She had a point there.

"You can come in if you want. I don't care."

He figured he might as well get this out of the way. He wouldn't be sleeping right now anyway.

Emma walked in. She felt a strange surge of guilt. She told herself it was illogical, but she kept feeling it. When she saw the scars on his body, along with the sweat on him, she couldn't help but feel guilty. She knew it wasn't her fault. But there was still a strange surge of guilt connected to it. Perhaps he had a point about Sebastian's cruelty.

"What did you want?"

"Your nightmares were keeping me awake."

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience to you."

Emma ignored that jab.

"I've been thinking."

"You were thinking, or you were listening in on other people's thoughts?"

"Both. I've thought of something that could be beneficial to both of us. Your memories haunt you. And they make you mad at me. Which means they're bad for both of us, right?"

"And?"

"I don't just read minds. I can alter them. I could take away your memories. I could replace them with something better. You wouldn't know the difference if it succeeds."

Erik was taken aback. He had never heard Charles say anything about altering thoughts. Charles could read, freeze, and communicate with minds, but he had never said anything about altering them. Although, that didn't mean he couldn't. Knowing Charles, he probably thought he shouldn't, whether or not he could.

"You could do that?"

"I'm full of tricks, Sugar. So what do you say? We could start over. We could focus on the real enemy. I still disagree with you killing Sebastian, and I'm still mad he's gone and I'll always miss him but, I get it. You should be happy for your girlfriend Raven. She got me to think about it more."

"Funny. She got me to talk to you." Erik didn't bother responding to Emma calling Raven his girlfriend. He didn't care what Emma thought. Raven was beautiful, but still a bit young for him. Young and innocent. She believed herself to be less innocent, and compared to Charles that was true, but an innocent child like her should be allowed to stay innocent. He was broken, damaged, and twisted. He didn't want to force that on an innocent girl. Still, he would be lying if he hadn't considered the possibility of Raven being his girlfriend.

"Smart girl. Someone has to knock some sense into us. So, what do you say? I know I'd want those memories out of my mind if I were you. No more nightmares like this."

Erik thought about it. So many possibilities ran through his mind. What would life be like without those memories? Not having those nightmares would barely scratch the surface of what would happen, he knew, but what would change. And what would be in their place? Then a question popped into his mind.

"What about this?" Erik pointed at the number on his arm. "If I saw this, I would know I had been in the camps, whether or not you altered my memories. And what about these scars?"

"I could plant memories in your head to explain the scars. It would take creativity, but we could come up with something. As far as the tattoo goes, that would take a little more creativity. But I've planted memories before. You'd be surprised what I've explained away. I could come up with something for this."

"I learned how to use my powers with Shaw. If I forgot, would I still know how to use them?"

"You would still have your powers. I could plant a different memory for them emerging, and other memories of you practicing them."

"I wouldn't be who I am today without having lived through those things. I hate those memories. I hate what Shaw did to me. I hate what those madmen put my people through. I hate the nightmares. But I like being the weapon I am."

Emma was surprised. She had been inside Erik's mind. She knew the agony he had. She figured he'd jump at the chance to delete those memories. Perhaps he was better at looking past his emotions than she had given him credit for.

"If you ever change your mind, you know where to find me, Erik."

"Erik?"

"That is your name. I don't care for the title Magneto on you."

"That's not what I meant. You didn't call me Sugar. You called me by my name."

"I guess Raven is rubbing off on me a bit too much."


	10. Friends?

Erik and Emma didn't become friends overnight. Depending on how one defines friendship, they may have never truly become friends. But their bond, whatever it was, did grow with time. Erik learned to trust Emma as she earned that trust, and Emma learned to empathize with Erik as he grew kinder toward her. He never stopped hating Shaw, and she never stopped loving him, not completely. Emma never met anyone that had a relationship with her quite like Shaw, and, thankfully, neither did Erik. But Erik and Emma slowly learned to look past Shaw when they looked at each other. Erik learned to look at Emma and not see his tormentor, his mother's killer, and a Nazi. Emma learned to look at Erik and not see the man who took the life of her only true love. Erik saw a woman who, while she had a cold side, truly did care about mutants. Emma saw a man who, while he had an over-emotional side, was willing to do whatever it took for his cause.

They learned to help each other with those goals. Emma helped soothe Erik's nightmares in return for not intentionally over-working her in their training sessions. He still over-worked her sometimes, but he over-worked everyone, himself included.

"I could take the nightmares away permanently."

"I already told you I don't want you to remove my memories. They've mad me the man I am today."

"I wouldn't take the memories away. I could just suppress them. Make it so you only have to see them when you want to access them."

"I never want to access those memories. But they remind me of why we're fighting. We're fighting so mutants don't have to have nightmares like that. I hate them, but they keep me strong. They force me to keep fighting."

"Well, the offer is always on the table."

"Why do you care anyway?"

"Probably the same reason you've stopped treating me like crap."

"It's not beneficial to have an angry telepath on my team."

"And it's not beneficial to be on the team of an angry metal bender."

"You could just leave the team."

"And you could kick me off the team. But this is bigger than us. You always say that. This isn't about me. It's not about you. It's about all of us."

"We have common enemies. And the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

"You're saying we're friends?"

"I don't think either of us knows what that word means."

"You do. Charles."

"He's gone. So I guess I'll have to make do with you."

"I'm flattered, Sugar."

She never did fill the gap Charles had left in his life. He never gave her the respect she wanted from him. He seemed to be more willing to give that respect to Raven. Erik didn't know if Emma respected anyone since he had killed Shaw. But they learned to live with each other. And that seemed to be the best they could hope for.

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for reading this story. It has been a blast to write, so I hope you enjoyed it! A special thank you goes out to Persephoniii. Persephoniii has been following and reviewing this story for a long time. This story would not have become what it is now without Persephoniii's reviews. **


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